120. Main Atal Hoon; movie review

 

MAIN ATAL HOON

Cert 12A

137 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, injury detail, images of real bodies

Would many of us persevere with ambition if it took more than 40 years to fulfil?

Atal Bihari Vajpayee had many reasons to give up on his long and weary road to the top of Indian politics.

But even though it appeared his party would always be an also-ran and betrayal and corruption would be perennial obstacles, he refused to walk away.

Ravi Jadhav's Main Atal Hoon is a bold attempt to cram Vajpayee's successes and failures into two and a quarter hours.

Pankaj Tripathi plays the man who would be Prime Minister from his teenage years until he took office in his 70s.

Interestingly, he didn't look out of place at either end of the spectrum despite his 47 years.

The movie chronicles Vajpayee's life from his early days in Madhya Pradesh and the first shoots of political interest.

His relationship with his father was such that the latter joined college to study law at the same time as his son and the two were classmates.

Vajpayee was well-known for his poetry, and some of his verses provide the narration for the film. This includes his admiration of the Taj Mahal and his horror at the violence around Partition.

The film outlines his political career, from his idealistic early days to his surprising keenness on India becoming a nuclear power.

It highlights his battles with the Gandhi dynasty, especially what he believed was corruption in Indira's government.

It also touches on his desire to remain unmarried but his mysterious relationship with married Rajkumari Kaul and her husband, Birjan Kaul.

It struck me that Main Atal Hoon was probably thorough but my lack of background knowledge of Indian politics meant that I could not judge with certainty.

Ditto; I am still determining whether I can be fair in the accuracy of the portrayal.

All I can say is that I found it enlightening, enjoyed it and Tripathi takes the part well.

Reasons to watch: Enlightening

Reasons to avoid: Needs background knowledge

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Nehru, India who led Indian post-Independence, publicly predicted Vajpayee would one day become Prime Minster more than 30 years before it happened. 

The final word. Pankaj Tripathi: “Playing the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Main Atal Hoon had a big impact on me. I learned many things from his character, especially his love for the country and his talent for bringing people together." News 18

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